Disability and Social Development Advocacy Africa (DaSDA Africa) has launched a year-long community-based campaign to advocate for the ratification of the African Disability Protocol (ADP) in Ghana.
The campaign, launched on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Anyinam, located in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region, will utilise a multi-faceted approach. Activities include community durbars and direct engagement with state agencies at the local level.
The launch event brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Health Service, the Social Welfare Department, traditional and religious leaders, the Market Women Association, the Artisans Association, the District Assembly, and the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled.
Mr. Isaac Kwaku Wadi, Founder and Executive Director of DaSDA Africa, urged the government to prioritise the ratification of the African Disability Protocol, emphasising its potential to address the numerous challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Africa, including Ghana.
Mr. Wadi asserted that Ghana’s Persons with Disabilities Act, Act 715, does not adequately address the complexities and nuances of the issues faced by persons with disabilities.
He stated that the African Disability Protocol offers a more comprehensive framework, taking into consideration the unique African perspective on disability.
Mr. Wadi also called on stakeholders to actively participate in the campaign and to champion the rights of persons with disabilities within their respective communities.
The Presiding Minister of the Methodist Church at Anyinam, Rev. Mrs. Perpetual Cobbah-Essel, who chaired the function, urged participants to lend their support to DaSDA Africa in successfully executing the project.
Rev. Cobbah-Essel further admonished the public to reject all negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities and instead, support them in living meaningful and fulfilling lives, reiterating that they are created in the image and likeness of God.
Rev. Cobbah-Essel also encouraged persons with disabilities to have confidence in themselves, assert their rights and freedoms, and never underestimate their potential.
The African Disability Protocol (ADP) is a human rights treaty adopted by the African Union in 2018 to promote and protect the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities on the African continent.
The ADP builds upon the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) but addresses specific challenges and contextual issues faced by Africans with disabilities. It covers a wide range of rights, including: Equality and non-discrimination, Accessibility, Participation in political and public life, Education, Health, Employment, and Access to justice.
The African Disability Protocol came into force on June 3, 2024, after the required 15 countries ratified it, making it legally binding for those nations.
However, for persons with disabilities in Ghana, they cannot fully enjoy the benefits and protections it offers until Ghana officially ratifies it. Advocates such as DaSDA Africa are pushing for its ratification in Ghana, arguing that it will strengthen legal protections and promote greater inclusion and equality for persons with disabilities.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
